Matamela, Nyambeni A.Wyatt, GailOduntan, YemisiJohnson, Cameron Dale2024-10-242024-10-242024Nyambeni A. Matamela, Gail Wyatt, Yemisi Oduntan & Cameron Dale Johnson (2024) Cumulative Trauma Exposure and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms Among Older Adults in South Africa: Does Post-Traumatic Growth Moderate This Link?, Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 33:10, 1212-1227, DOI: 10.1080/10926771.2024.2394086.1092-6771 (print)1545-083X (online)10.1080/10926771.2024.2394086http://hdl.handle.net/2263/98739The study explored the interplay between PTG and PTSS in older South African adults exposed to trauma. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed. 195 participants from a low-resourced setting in South Africa were interviewed using the UCLA Life Adversities Screener, the PTSD Checklist (DSM-5), and the PTG-Inventory. Hayes Model SPSS Macro PROCESS for moderation was used. Overall, the relationship between cumulative trauma exposure and PTSS was moderated by the PTG level (b = -0.09, SE = 0.04, p = .0113). The findings suggest that cumulative trauma exposure is a significant predictor of PTSS, and the relationship is moderated by the threshold level of PTG. Higher levels of PTG mitigated the effect of cumulative trauma exposure on PTSS.en© 2024 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).South Africa (SA)ModerationOlder adultsPost-traumatic growth (PTG)Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS)TraumaSDG-03: Good health and well-beingArticle